Magna Carta

by Griff Hosker

  I took the purse simply because I would be able to give the coins to my men. They would be risking their lives for my honour rather than my life and it was only fair that they should reap the benefit.

  I never saw the Archbishop again. He left for Normandy and died a year or so later. Due to the interdict no Archbishop could be appointed and the land grant was invaluable. King John took the revenue from the See to finance his wars. That was in the future. As we rode north I concentrated on the matter in hand. I learned that Alexander of Hawick had many manors around the border. He had half a dozen disreputable knights who followed his banner and fifty or so bandits who posed as men at arms. In a straight battle I would easily win. This would not be a straightforward battle.

  By the time we approached the village of Appleton, south of Yarm, I had formulated my plan. It would be too late to leave by the time we reached Stockton and I would have to send riders for the men who would accompany me. I sent Richard Red Leg ahead to warn my wife of our guest and then to ride to Fótr’s hall. I would need just one knight. This would need archers and my doughty men at arms.

  As we crossed on the ferry Alfred said, “This is not war. Can I come with you?”

  I shook my head. “This is more dangerous than war. In war there are rules. Squires are not deliberately attacked. These are bandits and brigands. A wild pig is more civilised than these. You have another year, at least, to serve before you can become my squire. Use it to develop those skills you will need. Can you play a rote yet?” He shook his head. “Sing a ballad?”

  “Father these are not knightly attributes. It is horsemanship and swordsmanship I need.”

  I laughed, “To be a knight you need other skills. I have never needed to play a rote or sing a ballad since Arsuf but, before then, I had to learn. Use the time now rather than when you are a squire. It has to be endured. You are lucky that you can read and write. You have three languages and that helps.”

  Petr nodded, “I still need all of those skills, Alfred. I may never become a knight for some of them seem beyond my grasp. Listen to your father. Use the year well.”

  When my wife met Ranulf she smiled and made him welcome but when he was taken to his chamber she said, “What does this mean, husband?”

  I sighed, “It means I ride north on the morrow.” I told her all.

  She shook her head and, smiling, kissed me. “You are a good man and a true knight. You cannot leave those girls with such a man as you describe but you will take care, will you not? This valley needs the Earl of Cleveland just as much as that family.”

  I went directly to my warrior hall. David of Wales lived there. I sent Petr to fetch his father. He lived in a small farmhouse to the east of the Oxbridge. While we awaited him, I told David of our problem. He nodded, “This will not be easy lord. Bandits who live in woods can be overwhelmed but with a tower these will be like trapped rats and they will fight hard. It is not numbers we need. It is a good plan.”

  “And I hope I have one. We will wait until Ridley comes before we speak of it. Which men will you take?”

  He knew his archers well and he knew those who served Sir Fótr. We made a list of thirty archers we would take. When he arrived, Ridley knew of the task. I saw from his face that this father of seven needed no inducement to rescue two girls.

  “How many men will we need, Ridley?”

  “We need enough to overcome and then subdue them, lord but not so many that they will hear of our coming. If you take Sir Fótr’s men then twenty should suffice.”

  “Good.” I told them of my plan and then went back to my hall.

  Sir Fótr arrived half way through our meal. “I came as soon as Richard Red Leg spoke to me. I am here to serve you, lord.”

  “This is not war, Fótr. You can say no if you choose.”

  He smiled. “I am a bachelor knight. I have no one to worry about at home. I just have my squire, John. If I fell then you would appoint another knight. It is good.”

  When I had explained my plan to him he returned to his hall. We would ride to Norton before heading north. My horse master, Alan, chose good horses which could cope with the rough terrain we would encounter. I took Skuld with me. She was getting old and I feared this would be one of the last times she went to war. Too old to breed I would retire her to my fields. She had earned the right.

  We headed north quickly and made Matfen an hour after dark. It was the advantage of travelling with so few men. The men at arms and archers made do with Ranulf’s barn and we stayed in the house. Ranulf had four men left to him. They had been with him at the market. Their women had been taken but they were not for ransom. The four were desperate to come with us and rescue their own wives from captivity. They would be enduring a form of slavery. They would be kept by the bandits to be used when they chose. They were keen to leave. They would be our scouts.

  We went over our plans. North west of Hawick lay the small village of Denum. It was where the brigands kept their animals. It had a small unfortified hall and there were ten men at arms who watched the animals. The men whose wives had been taken believed that their women had been taken there. Ridley the Giant would take two of the Matfen men, six archers and fifteen men at arms. They would capture the hall and drive the animals south. Ridley would ensure that at least one man survived the attack to take the word back to Alexander of Hawick. I counted on the bandit knight chasing after English raiders. When he did so then we would assault the hall and the tower. It was not a perfect plan but we all agreed that it had the greatest chance of success. As it was just five miles from the tower it would allow Ridley and his men to rejoin us before Alexander of Hawick reached Denum.

  We had forty miles to ride and in the short days of early winter we would have to travel mainly in the dark. That suited us for we would be hidden by darkness. One of the scouts, Rafe, knew of a place we could camp. As we headed north west, before dawn had broken, the weather turned. Flecks of snow fell with sleet and rain. It made for uncomfortable riding but it would hide us. As what passed for the day progressed the snow gradually replaced the sleet. By the time we reached the deserted huts in the middle of the forest there was a layer of white all around us. We would be hidden.

  The huts had belonged to English folk who had been driven from their homes by the constant raids from Scotland. The walls stood and most had part of their roof remaining. By using cloaks, we were able to stay dry. We would be just five miles from Hawick. I had the men repair the huts as best they could and then I had them put logs down between the houses. It gave protection and I had plans for the future.

  That night, as we ate our frugal meal I spoke to Ridley and his men. “Take the animals and drive them south. If you are pursued then abandon the animals and get here quickly. I do not wish you and your men to be risked. Besides I will need you to fight this Alexander. We can always collect the animals later on. The priority will be the captured women.” Ranulf, along with other farmers, had had many cattle stolen. If we were able we would return them but I wasn’t hopeful.

  We rode through virgin snow. It was a danger I had not anticipated. The Scots would be able to follow us. We could do little about the weather. It would slow up the brigands when they rode to Denum but, equally, it would slow up Ridley and his men as they tried to get to us quickly. They could not come the direct route. They would have to come in a loop.

  After we parted from Ridley we took the path along Siltrig Water; the small stream which led to Hawick. The blizzard which had begun in the middle of the night still raged. It would keep people indoors. We could ride in the icy water and hide our tracks. Ridley would not have that luxury. I followed Egbert and his brother Ethelbert. When their families had been taken they had scouted out this stream and discovered it was the best way to reach the town. The stream joined the river which flowed north east and eventually joined the Tweed not far from Jedburgh. The hall and tower lay at the confluence of the stream and the river.

  Any man we met would now be an enemy. Our archers
followed the two scouts with bows at the ready. They did not have great range loosing from the back of a horse but they were accurate and would be able to silence any Scot who threatened to give us away. The snow had abated but the wind still blew flurries in our faces. Even the Scottish dogs which might have given away our position were indoors and silent.

  We stopped in a stand of trees some four hundred paces from the tower. Egbert stopped us before we could be seen and we dismounted. Our horses had had a hard ride and needed rest. I wriggled my way to the eaves and peered at the tower. There were sentries on the top. It had one door which was reached by a ladder. That meant the women and the warriors would be in the fortified hall. That too was accessed by a single door. The difference was that this one had stone steps leading to it. While we waited I watched and saw half a dozen warriors emerge, go to the side of the tower and make water. The sentries bantered with them. The wind prevented me from hearing them but it boded well for it showed that they did not expect danger. On the far side of the hall, closer to the river were the houses and farms which made up Hawick. I saw smoke spiralling from them as they kept warm inside their homes. Leaving Will son of Robin to watch I returned to the others. I took the bread and ham from Petr.

  “They look relaxed. My plan should still work. David, have four archers watching the tower. They cannot climb into it quickly. We stop any who flee there. We will burn any out if there is time. Fótr, we will lead the rest of the men for the hall. There is but one door in and out. With the rest of our archers to give us cover we should be able to break in. That is not the hard part. That will come when we try to escape. We fall back to the place we camped last night and there we will give them battle. Ranulf you and your men will have to protect your people. We can fight the bandits but not defend the women at the same time.”

  “Fear not lord, once we get them back we will stop them taking them again.”

  We sat to wait. Until Ridley struck we could do nothing. Will had just been relieved when one of his reliefs, John the Archer, ran up to us. “Lord a rider has just ridden in from the north east.”

  Leaving the rest to prepare Fótr and I ran to the eaves. Would the Scots take the bait? We knew from Ranulf and his men the rough numbers who would oppose us. If the majority left then we might succeed. If not then it could be bloody. The rider had left his horse outside and run into the hall. That meant they did not keep a good watch from the hall; just the tower. My archers could give us time to get closer to the hall before the alarm was given. Suddenly the door of the hall burst open and the warriors ran to something I had not seen from my vantage point. There was a door in the side leading to stables which lay before the hall. They wasted time clearing the snow to allow them in.

  It was then I saw Alexander of Hawick. He was a huge man. He shouted and bawled at his men. He wore a short hauberk. His arming hood hung down and he held his helmet in his hand. It was an old fashioned one with a nasal and strengtheners over the crown. His sword was a long one. I had seen them before. They were called a hand and a half sword. Most men would need two hands to wield one but some men, large men with big hands and arms like oak saplings could use just one hand.

  It took time to get the horses saddled and brought up from their stables. That gave Ridley and his men more time to escape from Denum. Once the horses were out they were mounted. When sixty men mounted and left I knew that Ranulf had underestimated the numbers we faced. It might have been deliberate but I preferred honesty. I would still have come. I saw eight men return into the hall. I did not know how many were in the tower.

  Fótr and I returned to the others. “They have taken the bait. I counted at least eight men who remain in the hall and there are an unknown number in the tower. David, clear the tower. The rest, we ride for the hall and gain entry. Fótr, you saw where the stables were, have your men secure that. It may be there is another entrance into the hall from there.”

  “Aye lord.”

  “If we are to succeed then we cannot waste one moment. Be swift and be ruthless. These are bandits!”

  After donning my helmet, I mounted Skuld. David’s archers had already run back to the edge of the woods. They would go on foot to get as close as they could to the tower. Four hundred paces put the men in the tower beyond their range. My shield hung by my leg. I drew my sword and spurred my mount. The going, through the virgin snow, was not as quick as I would have liked. I knew that the snow on the ground around the hall had been flattened by the riders already. That still lay one hundred paces from us. We were spotted. One of the sentries sent an arrow towards us. It fell short and then when Cedric Warbow’s arrow struck him he fell from the tower. Three other men appeared and shouted. The wind and the height of the tower prevented the words from carrying and another sentry fell. By that time, I was close enough to the hall and I leapt from Skuld. She would not wander.

  I ran to the steps. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Fótr lead his men to the stables. Behind me, in the tower, I heard the clash of steel. The door of the hall opened when I was just three steps from it. The Scot who emerged was armed but he looked towards my men and not down the steps. It proved to be a fatal mistake. I rammed my sword through him and, pushing his body to the ground, ran in.

  After the snow bright ground outside the interior was Stygian and that nearly cost me my life. A spear was rammed at me. I saw it at the last moment and turned. After ripping my surcoat it rasped against my mail. I brought my sword diagonally across the Scot’s neck. My sword sawed across his naked neck. It was a mortal wound. As my eyes adjusted I saw that this was an old-fashioned hall. There were no rooms. It was like a Swedish long house. Women screamed and, in the light of the fire in the centre I saw twelve warriors grab their weapons and run at me. Luckily, I was not alone. My men had joined me.

  We were wearing mail and they were not. We were ready for combat and they were just keeping warm. On their side they knew the layout of their hall. I was wearing gauntlets and when the first Scot raised his sword to slash down at me I blocked it with my glove and swung my sword into his side. I pushed him to the side. One Scot jumped up on to a table with the intention of leaping down on me. I held up my sword and he impaled himself as he jumped.

  The sudden appearance of Fótr and his men ended all resistance. There were just the dead, women and children left. I took off my helmet. “Ranulf, have you found your people?”

  His voice came from the dark, “Aye lord and others beside!”

  “Then take them back to the trees. We will have to ride double. The rest of you, flee now for we will burn this hall!”

  There were screams and cries as they realised they were losing their home. They would find shelter in the village. When I stepped outside the brightness of the snow almost blinded me. Fótr joined me, “We found six horses. We may not have to ride double.”

  “Good. Henry Youngblood, fire the hall. David of Wales fire the tower!” I wanted to draw Alexander and his men back from Denum. The more of my men we had in the forest the better chance we had of success.

  “Aye lord.” I saw that Ranulf and his family were huddled together. Egbert and Ethelred had some women with them. At least one was of their family.

  “Put the large captives on the six horses Sir Fótr found. The rest will ride double. Ranulf there will be time for reunions in Matfen. Move your people out and get them to the village!”

  “Aye lord and thank you!”

  “Thank me when we are out of this with your family safe. Until then we take nothing for granted.”

  I mounted Skuld and turned to see palls of smoke rising in the sky. It had been more than an hour since Alexander of Hawick had ridden to Denum. By now he would have reached it and realised that Ridley and his raiders had fled. Would he follow their trail or head back to his town? Not knowing the man, I could not predict what he would do. I just had to stick to my plan.

  “Fótr, take your men and ride as quickly as you can to the village. Improve the defences.”

  “Aye
lord.”

  I waited for my men at arms and archers before I left. Until we were reunited with Ridley then we risked failure for there were at least sixty bandits who would be trying to get at us. The trail back was much easier for it was now trampled by our horses. I was aware that time was passing. Fótr would be at the village already but the women who were riding the horses were struggling. It could not be helped.

  We were at the point where we had parted from Ridley when Mordaf ap Tomas shouted, “Lord, I see Ridley the Giant through the trees.”

  “David of Wales, take your archers back to the village quickly and prepare our defence. I will wait for Ridley.”

  “Aye lord.”

  If my archers and Fótr were there then we could defend the logs and wrecked huts. I saw that Ridley and his men were driving cattle and they each had a woman or a child on their horses. He saw my face and said, “I know that I have disobeyed you, lord but the cattle shifted the snow and made it easier for us. We found twelve captives in the village.”

  “Any sign of pursuit?”

  “I have my archers behind us and they have not seen any.”